Caltrans will be doing significant clearing of the ROW to provide the private homes along Date Street in Montara with defensible space starting the week of October 27. Below is the text of their email to us, along with a photo of the work area.
RAMMB believes this is a very positive development, and we hope the residents along Date breathe a sigh of relief. Caltrans also indicates more work to be done in the future, which is excellent news. We have some observations about the answers to our questions at the end of the email. For months, CalFire, in conjunction with Caltrans, has stated that Coastal Commission rules limit their ability to mitigate fire danger. Governor Newsom has declared a State of Emergency, which enables agencies to apply for waivers of those rules. The deadline for the waiver application is December 31, 2025, and the Coastal Commission has encouraged Caltrans to apply. However, as of October 21, 2025, they have not applied for waivers. Also, apparently, Caltrans is no longer concerned about sensitive habitats or endangered species, as their own contracted survey of the ROW found none, and they have not performed any subsequent surveys. While we are happy and grateful that Caltrans is doing the broader work, we disagree that they have no obligation to perform it. There are State, County, and Local laws that compel both private and public property owners to provide their neighbors with defensible space. Nonetheless, Caltrans is now demonstrating goodwill.
Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 12:54 PM
From: Crawford, Jeneane@DOT
To: Larry De Young
RE: Questions for Caltrans
Hi Larry, I hope you are well. Cal Fire recently reviewed Caltrans’ owned and occupied residences within the area and evaluated them for compliance with fire safety guidelines. There are a few modifications we will make to those properties, and then will be focusing on the areas shown in the image (above). We will start on the north end of the red line, at Drake Street. Landscaping crews will clear brush, branches, and dead vegetation, and creating a defensible space from structures, starting next week. They will continue until clearing has reached the southern end of the red line at Franklin St. Once this is completed, we will update you on subsequent locations.
To answer your questions:
1. we have not submitted any permit waiver applications with the Coastal Commission;
2. we have no environmental reports for the parcel other than what was produced for you in your public records requests;
3. while Caltrans is not legally responsible for fire mitigation beyond what Cal Fire has stated, we are committed to continuing fire mitigation efforts.
